Kendall Grove vs. Goran Reljic
The first round began and they touched gloves. Grove missed a left hook. Reljic missed a high kick. Four thirty-five. Four fifteen. Grove narrowly missed a high kick. He blocked one. Grove narrowly missed a right hand but Reljic spun out. Four minutes. Grove landed an inside leg kick. Three thirty-five as Reljic landed an inside leg kick there. Grove blocked a high kick. Three fifteen. Grove grazed with a left hook and missed a right hand. Reljic blocked a high kick. Three minutes. Grove missed another big right and a leg kick. Two thirty-five. Reljic missed a straight left. Grove blocked a high kick. Reljic landed a body kick and nearly slipped and ate a jab. Two fifteen. Grove landed a front kick and dodged an inside leg kick. Grove blocked a straight left. He blocked a high kick. Two minutes. Reljic worked for a single and he got it to the butterflies. Grove landed an elbow from the bottom and another. One thirty-five. Reljic stood landing a right. He ate a MASSIVE upkick to the chin and fell to his back and stood immediately, as did Grove. One fifteen. Reljic was still unvisibly rocked. Grove came after him and kneed the body high. One minute as Reljic secured the clinch against the cage instead. Thirty-five. Grove kneed the body, Reljic replied. Reljic kneed the body and the gut. Fifteen. Grove kneed the body and landed a body kick on the break, no it was more of a knee as well. The first round ended and they touched gloves perfunctorily. 'Don't get overzealous, he's got a lot of energy left,' Mandaloniz told Grove. The second round began and they touched gloves. Reljic missed a straight left. Grove pumped the jab. Four thirty-five as he ate a straight left and a knee to the body. Grove got a single to guard. Reljic went for an armbar and then a kimura and then an omoplata with four fifteen. Reljic turned to sit backwards on top. He turned and stood over Grove with four minutes. Reljic kicked the leg cautiously a few times. Grove grazed with another upkick and another. Reljic came down to guard though with three thirty-five. Grove landed an elbow from the bottom. Three fifteen. Reljic elbowed the body. He ate another from the bottom and another. Three minutes. Another. Reljic landed a hammerfist. Grove landed another pair of elbows. Another nice slicing elbow. Two thirty-five. Grove landed a hammerfist from the bottom. A nice elbow to the top of the head and another pair. Two fifteen. Two minutes. Reljic needs to work. The crowd was booing. One thirty-five. Stand them up, ref. Grove landed a hammerfist from the bottom. Another elbow and another. One fifteen. This needs to be stood back up. Reljic landed a hammerfist. One minute. The ref stood them up. Grove missed a high kick. Thirty-five. Grove missed a left hook. He dodged a high kick. Reljic landed a nice inside leg kick that nearly tripped Grove. Reljic dodged a front kick. Fifteen. The second round ended. 'We're not here to win the crowd,' they told Reljic. The third round began and they touched gloves. Grove was exhibiting a lot of head movement. He dodged another left. Grove landed a right hand grazing and missed a flurry. Four thirty. Reljic missed a high kick. He seemed to be having trouble with Grove's range. He landed a hard body kick. Four fifteen. Grove stuffed a single. Reljic pulled away from a standing guillotine attempt and they broke. Four minutes. Reljic blocked a high kick. Grove landed an inside leg kick nicely there. Grove landed a nice straight right lead. Three thirty. Grove landed a counter right hand. Three fifteen. 'Left field, right field, Kendall!' Reljic got another single to guard but he was defending a guillotine. Three minutes as Grove stood cranking it and kneed the face as they broke. Grove landed an inside leg kick. Reljic landed a hard body kick. He missed another high kick. Two thirty-five. Reljic landed an inside leg kick. Grove stuffed a double and kneed the body and a hard Faber knee to the body as well. Two fifteen. Reljic worked for a single hard. Two minutes. 'Head up!' Grove landed three elbows in under. Another elbow as he kept stuffing it. One thirty-five with another elbow, to the thigh of Reljic. The referee was warning of a breakup. Tough fight to score, as Rogan noted. Grove landed a foot stomp, Reljic turned the corner for a single to half-guard with one fifteen. One minute as Reljic tried to pass using the instep. Grove was defending, as the crowd booed. Reljic passed to side control. Thirty-five. Grove kneed the back from the bottom. Reljic passed to north-south. Fifteen left. 'You've got nothing to lose, Goran!' Reljic turtled him up. They stood to the clinch. The third round ended. 29-28 Reljic, 30-27 Grove, and 29-28 for the winner by split decision Grove.